


The Ghosts Between Us

by Anonymous



Category: The Daevabad Trilogy - S. A. Chakraborty
Genre: Angst and Feels, Crude language because Fiza is an old sea dog, Empire of gold spoilers, F/M, Mentions of Nahri; Nahli; and Fiza's mom, Past Relationship(s), Poetry, Sexual Content, Some Humor, This was supposed to be about the sexy times but then it turned into the crying times, post-Empire of Gold
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:27:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26643736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: A collection of poems written from Fiza's perspective, of her life with Ali. Takes place several decades after the end of Empire of Gold.
Relationships: Fiza/Alizayd al Qahtani
Kudos: 3
Collections: Anonymous





	The Ghosts Between Us

He smells of salt and shines like the sea.   
Perfect for a sailor.   
He can stick that marid dick wherever he wants  
As long as he wants  
Me

He still cries out her name  
When he's about to cum  
But that doesn't bother me.   
It's my copper-brown eyes   
that his flutter open to.   
It's my fire-black hair  
That he tugs so gently.   
It's my warm body  
That he falls asleep next to.   
I'll have the rest of him soon. 

He brings me gifts from the sea.   
Shells and coins and rusted treasures from days gone by.   
He tells me the sharks say hello.   
They like my attitude, apparently.   
And the way I make him beg. 

"You share our memories with them?!"   
This marid bullshit makes no sense.   
His dark skin blushes, his yellow eyes glowing.   
"We are communal," he says quietly. "Everything is shared and stored in the currents."  
It takes a moment to land.   
I ask if he can access and share  
those other memories with me.   
His innocent eyes don't see the potential.  
We have a new form of entertainment for the weekend now  
And learn new tricks for the bedroom.  
May the sharks be pleased. 

When I tire of the city  
And yearn to sail  
He travels with me.  
Doesn't hurt to have a water-elemental onboard  
To ensure a safe sea.  
It rains when he's sad though.  
And the ocean may capsize us  
If we get too frisky. 

He tells me he loves me.  
And most days I believe him.  
He's soft and thoughtful  
And tends to my needs.  
But the air chills when she walks by.  
Always rains that evening.  
I suggest we move  
Find someplace new to call our own.  
Anywhere can be home when you travel through the currents.  
Can't travel far enough when she lives in his heart. 

Every sailor worth their salt  
Has a repertoire of ghost stories.  
Sunken ships and murderous mermaids.  
Greed and wraiths and vengeful foes.  
Blood trails leading and screams in the dark.  
I'd face any of those  
Over the haunted look in his eyes  
When he calls me her name by mistake. 

We travel through the deserts  
The sands of my ancestors  
In time for the centennial djinn celebrations  
Banging drums and screaming lungs  
Can't quite cover up  
Our panting cries in the dark. 

I left a message in a bottle.  
Some ass said it would be charming.  
To make a wish and see where it ends up.  
I threw it in the ocean  
I didn't think he'd find it.  
It's been raining all week. 

I told him I was sorry.  
They're the only words I know now.  
He just doesn't understand  
What it's like to love  
in the shadow of someone else.  
He stared at me then  
Like he was seeing me for the first time.  
The way he touched me, oh.  
I'm still seeing stars. 

Our house is by the water.  
Filled with his books  
And my guns  
And treasures from the sea.  
A real pirate's treasure trove.  
He won't drink my rum  
But he'll sing sea shanties with me  
And make love to me  
And then put me to sleep with the history of  
… Zzzzz

I love the marks on his skin  
The silvery scales that trail over him.  
You can almost make out  
What marid monstrosity carved into him.  
Waterweeds and fish hooks  
Tentacles and teeth.  
There are even scales  
_Down there._  
But he doesn't laugh  
When I pretend to be  
The fish that bit him. 

The marks on my face  
Were a gift from my mother.  
Signs of our tribe  
And wishes for my future.  
They've stretched as I've aged  
And faded from the sun.  
I've tried to have them re-done  
But the marks underneath  
Linger on. 

After the war  
I tried looking for my mother.  
But there was so much death and devastation  
And I was taken so many years ago.  
No one knew of her  
And I couldn't find a trace of her.  
Ali asked me what she looked like  
He could ask the marid for help.  
Maybe they ate someone who saw her.  
But I couldn't tell him anything.  
I only remembered  
How I felt in her arms. 

I don't speak of my past.  
Not even to him.  
I don't want to revisit it.  
Nothing I say will change it.  
The thing about surviving  
Is that you only ever have  
One plan for the future.  
But this fool has so many  
When he speaks of his ideas  
It's like the sun is in his eyes  
Shining bright.  
He's open about his past.  
The assassins he's killed  
His fears and his desires  
He lays himself bare.  
Maybe he shares his secrets  
In the hopes that I'll share mine.  
Well it won't work.  
What's behind is behind.  
But I'll take a shot  
at a better future.  


He doesn't fight  
With swords anymore.  
Just words and numbers now.  
But we spar together  
To stay in shape.  
Teaches me some of his  
Old Citadel moves.  
I can tell when he's holding back  
This distant smile as he tries to be nice.  
He'll recall some old name  
As he tells some old story  
And then he fades away.  
Ghosts clouding his vision.  
After that I always  
knock him down  
And kiss him until  
He only sees me. 


End file.
